His proud family watched from the audience as Bichsel crossed the stage and shook hands with the principal. He had his picture taken with the graduating class, smiling as broadly as the young men and women next to him.

Bichsel, 76, remembers it like it was yesterday. That's because it practically was.

On May 24, the Navy veteran received his high school diploma, almost 60 years after his class graduated without him as he went off to war.

"It's an honor," Bichsel said with a grin.

His granddaughter got him that honor after hearing on the radio that a new law gave veterans the opportunity to graduate from high school if a war interfered.

Claude High School, thrilled to graduate its oldest senior, called Bichsel's wife, Maxine, and asked for his Social Security number.

"I never realized what they were doing," Bichsel said. At least not until later, when he heard the words, "Mr. Bichsel will walk across the stage."

Not completing high school had haunted Bichsel throughout his two years of service, 18 months of which were served overseas. He helmed ships through typhoons in the South Pacific, transported casualties and had the duty after the war ended to clear Okinawan caves of hidden Japanese soldiers.

"I would holler, and no one would come out," he said. "You'd have to go in. Someone would be hiding back there. You couldn't see."

The war ended, and Bichsel received an honorable discharge. On his papers, under "further training," someone typed "finish high school."

But soon after he came home, something happened that disrupted those plans. His father died in a farming accident, and he took over the farm.

In 1947, he married his wife and later moved to Washburn, where he lived a quiet life as a farmer and later as a volunteer firefighter.

He didn't know quite how much a high school education meant to him until he was up on the stage, surrounded by young, fresh faces, and the people crowded into the auditorium gave him a standing ovation.

"I said 'You make my heart go like that,"' he said, thumping his chest with his forearm.